Iraqi official says ties between Baghdad, Erbil ‘at its best’

A senior Iraqi official has described the ties between Erbil and Baghdad as ‘excellent’, indicating the levels of trusts and mutual respect between the two administrations.

“Relations are very good between the Kurdistan Region and the federal government,” Chief of Staff and Adviser to Iraq’s prime minister, Abdulkarim Hashim Mustafa, said in remarks on Tuesday on the sidelines of a conference held in Russia on the Middle East.

He also described the bilateral ties currently at its best, indicating the high levels of trust between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

Mustafa indicated presence of some differences, saying “There will always be small problems.” However, he added that both sides “are capable of resolving these issues” together.

Relations between the two governments reached a breaking point, in the wake of a referendum on independence was held in September 2017, which was followed by a military operation by Iraqi troops that took over the disputed areas, leading to the withdrawal of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.